Method and system for keeping a sheet or liner from riding up or popping off a mattress

ABSTRACT

A sheet, pad or liner can be designed with tabs that can easily and quickly adhere to the underside of a mattress to prevent the fitted sheet, mattress pad or liner from riding up and popping off the mattress. The tabs can extend from the corners of the sheet, pad or liner and, typically, from one to three tabs may be disposed from each corner region. The mattress can have an adherent area to attach the tabs or the entire underside of the mattress can be made from an adherent material. The adherent area and the tabs can be, for example, configured to attach with a hook and loop connection system.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of priority of U.S. provisionalapplication No. 61/726,541, filed Nov. 14, 2012, the contents of whichare herein incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to bedding and bedding accessories and,more particularly, to a method and system for keeping a sheet or linerfrom riding up or popping off a mattress.

Mattress pads, liners and fitted sheets can easily ride up along thesides of the mattress, making these items look on top of the mattress,onto which a person sleeps. This loosening can become uncomfortable.Continued loosening can result in the mattress pad, liner and fittedsheets from completely popping off the mattress.

Existing mattress pads, liners and fitted sheets use stretch corners orgarter belt type connections to hold the sheet/liner/pad in place. Thisdesign, however, can result in these items riding up or popping off themattress, causing discomfort for the user.

The existing solutions to the problem are difficult and inconvenient forpeople to use, especially those with handicaps of the hand, such asarthritis. The solution of stretch corners does not meet the challenge.The solution of garter belt attachments to hold the corners in place isa separate entity from the sheet and is difficult to use for people withcrippling hand afflictions.

As can be seen, there is a need for an improved method and system forkeeping a fitted sheet, mattress pad or liner from riding up and poppingoff a mattress.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one aspect of the present invention, a system for securing a mattressliner to a mattress comprises at least one tab extending from eachcorner of the mattress liner; a tab connector disposed on each of the atleast one tab; and a mattress having, on its underside, a connectionmechanism for interconnecting the tab connector of the at least one tabwith the underside of the mattress.

In another aspect of the present invention, a method for securing amattress liner to a mattress comprises extending at least one tabextending from each corner of the mattress liner under a mattress; andsecuring a tab connector, disposed on each of the at least one tab, to aconnection mechanism, disposed on an underside of the mattress.

These and other features, aspects and advantages of the presentinvention will become better understood with reference to the followingdrawings, description and claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a mattress liner disposed on a mattressaccording to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the mattress liner of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a bottom view of a mattress used with the mattress liner ofFIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the mattress liner separatedfrom the mattress;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the mattress liner and mattress,demonstrating application of the mattress liner to the mattress;

FIG. 6 is a bottom view of a mattress having the mattress liner attachedthereto;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a mattress liner according to analternate embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 8 is a bottom view of a mattress according to an alternateembodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The following detailed description is of the best currently contemplatedmodes of carrying out exemplary embodiments of the invention. Thedescription is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but is made merelyfor the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the invention,since the scope of the invention is best defined by the appended claims.

Broadly, an embodiment of the present invention provides a system andmethod for preventing a fitted sheet, a mattress pad or a liner fromriding up and popping off a mattress. A sheet, pad or liner can bedesigned with tabs that can easily and quickly adhere to the undersideof the mattress. The tabs can extend from the corners of the sheet, pador liner and, typically, from one to three tabs may be disposed fromeach corner region. The mattress can have an adherent area to attach thetabs or the entire underside of the mattress can be made from anadherent material. The adherent area and the tabs can be, for example,configured to attach with a hook and loop connection system.

As used herein, the term “mattress liner” refers to any article ofbedding that is desirable to attach to a mattress. A “mattress liner”can include a sheet, such as a fitted sheet, a mattress pad, a mattressliner, or the like. In some embodiments, a “mattress liner” may refer tomore than one such item. For example, if a user desires a mattress padand a fitted sheet to be attached to the mattress, both of thesearticles may be designed in accordance with the present invention.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 through 7, a mattress liner 10 can be designedwith one or more tabs 16 extending from each corner thereof. The tabs 16can be formed integrally with the mattress liner 10 at the time ormanufacturer, or, in some embodiments, the tabs 16 can be attached tothe mattress liner 10 as an add-on product, attachable to the mattressliner 10 through various mechanisms, such as by stitching, adhesive, orthe like. As shown in FIGS. 1 through 6, a single tab 16 can be disposedat each corner. As shown in FIG. 7, two additional tabs 16 can bedisposed on the sides of the mattress liner 10, adjacent to the tabs ateach corner. In other embodiments, the tabs can be disposed at otherlocations along the mattress liner 10.

A mattress 14 can be designed with patches 12 on or near each corner onthe underside thereof. The patches 12 include a mechanism to permit thetabs 16 of the mattress liner 10 to connect thereto. In someembodiments, the patches 12 can be formed from a hook and loop material,while the tabs 16 can also be designed of a hook and loop material 181that can engage the hook and loop material on the mattress 14. Otherconnection means could be used within the scope of the presentinvention, including push and lock connectors, snaps, buttons or thelike.

In some embodiments, the patches 12 can be formed integrally with themattress 14 at the time of manufacturer. In other embodiments, thepatches 12 can be secured to the underside of the mattress 14 by variousmeans, such as stitching, adhesive, or the like.

In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 8, an entire underside 20 of themattress 12 can be made of a hook or loop material designed to secure tothe hook or loop material 18 of the tabs 16 of the mattress liner 10. Inother embodiments, an outer periphery of the underside of the mattress12 can be made of the hook or loop material.

In some embodiments, the lengths of the tabs 16 may vary, depending onthe relative position of the article of bedding on the mattress. Forexample, a fitted sheet, disposed as the upper-most article of beddingattached to the mattress, may have tabs that are longer than a mattresspad, which is disposed under the fitted sheet. This would allow themattress pad to be secured first to the mattress, and then allow thefitted sheet to be easily secured to the mattress as well.

To use the system of the present invention, a user can simply put on themattress liner 10 and secure the tab 16 of the sheet to the underside ofthe mattress 14. The tabs 16 can be secure enough to prevent themattress liner 10 from riding up or popping off the mattress 14, but canbe still easily removed by a user to change the mattress liner 10.

It should be understood, of course, that the foregoing relates toexemplary embodiments of the invention and that modifications may bemade without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as setforth in the following claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A system for securing a mattress liner to amattress, the system comprising: at least one tab extending from eachcorner of the mattress liner; a tab connector disposed on each of the atleast one tab; and a mattress having, on its underside, a connectionmechanism for interconnecting the tab connector of the at least one tabwith the underside of the mattress.
 2. The system of claim 1, whereinthe connection mechanism on the underside of the mattress includespatches of connector material.
 3. The system of claim 1, wherein theconnection mechanism on the underside of the mattress includes connectormaterial disposed on an entire underside of the mattress.
 4. The systemof claim 1, wherein the tab connector and the connection mechanism aremating hook and loop material connectors.
 5. The system of claim 1,further comprising three tabs disposed about each corner of the mattressliner.
 6. A method for securing a mattress liner to a mattress, themethod comprising: extending at least one tab extending from each cornerof the mattress liner under a mattress; and securing a tab connector,disposed on each of the at least one tab, to a connection mechanism,disposed on an underside of the mattress.
 7. The method of claim 6,wherein the connection mechanism on the underside of the mattressincludes patches of connector material.
 8. The method of claim 6,wherein the connection mechanism on the underside of the mattressincludes connector material disposed on an entire underside of themattress.
 9. The method of claim 6, wherein the tab connector and theconnection mechanism are mating hook and loop material connectors. 10.The method of claim 6, further comprising three tabs disposed about eachcorner of the mattress liner.